Michael Sean Winters

Distinctly Catholic: Martin Luther King did not tell the American people to stop being American. A prophet calls a people to return to their truest selves that they may return to a righteous path.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: "Jesus Christ Superstar" and evangelization; Democratic strategies; disaster disparity; heralds of misguided economic ideology.

Distinctly Catholic: The fourth 'Pope' episode provoked more ambivalence than the previous three. In its rush to apply history lessons to the situation of today's church, the show became a little ridiculous.

Distinctly Catholic: Instead of his usual political news and commentary roundup, Michael Sean Winters provides required listening for this Easter triduum. 

Distinctly Catholic: What keeps us from the wonderment at these events that so characterized the early followers of Jesus? What prevents us from the depth of conversion they had?

Distinctly Catholic: Cardinal Timothy Dolan's recent, ill-advised op-ed in The Wall Street Journal does nothing to unite Catholics​ polarized by political divisions.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Admiring the youngsters marching for gun control; Rex Tillerson has complaints about Washington; the haunting, pleading Lamentations of Jeremiah.

Distinctly Catholic: CNN's series descends into the muck, as it must, with Sixtus IV and Alexander VI. But the era's contrast of moral squalor and great art makes a point about Incarnation.

Distinctly Catholic: I do not think Dan Lipinski and Conor Lamb are one pole of the party and Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren the other. All four talk about solidarity as the principal value in creating the politics that matters most to them.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Responding to and reviewing Ross Douthat; profiles in cowardice from Republicans; where are the bishops as Pope Francis is attacked?

Distinctly Catholic: I come to bury Ross Douthat, not to praise him — for his facts in To Change the Church are nonsense, his arguments tendentious, and his thesis so absurd it is shocking that this book was published at all.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Koch brothers and Latinos just arriving in the U.S.; the nation's mayors; neo-liberalism cannot be baptized; 'Francis Derangement Syndrome'

Distinctly Catholic: Those who complain about the hierarchy, and especially those who complain about the lack of power sharing in the church, need to watch this episode. Whenever a pope or cardinal or king has aspired to power over the church, he has undercut the spiritual foundations of the papacy and the mission entrusted to the church by Jesus Christ.

Distinctly Catholic: It remains to be seen if Democrats will learn the lessons to be drawn from this congressional race. But Republicans are right to be worried.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Why the Parkland High School students were so articulate; Radically addressing income inequality; More coverage of Cardinal Tobin on workers

Distinctly Catholic: Bishop Robert Barron's approach, sharp with criticisms of the ambient culture, many of those criticisms warranted — has this worked in the past 40 years?

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Immigration advocates are defending their community; Bernie Sanders' winning message; the latest from the anti-Francis crowd; a way to help still-struggling Puerto Rico.

Distinctly Catholic: Mistakes mar the first episode of "Pope: The Most Powerful Man in History." But there's enough insight into the "authenticating voice" that began with Peter to keep me watching.

Distinctly Catholic: Whatever is going on in conservative circles, if you had been at Seton Hall for Richard Trumka's talk, you would have seen how working-class folk feel about the pope.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Reactions to Cardinal Wuerl's pastoral plan; Israel deporting Africans; Democrats mobilize for governors' races but need to break with the left on cultural issues